Herdsmen kill two, destroy houses in Benue

Fulani herdsmen on Thursday killed two people at Tse Semaka, Umenger in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and burnt down some houses.

According to a native, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, the victims were hacked down on their farm by the herdsmen.

The herdsmen were said to have moved into a nearby village and set houses ablaze.

He said, “You know that all the villages along Daudu to Gbamjimba have been deserted as a result of the constant attacks since New Year day. The villagers are taking refuge in the camps located across the council but the men always take risk and go to their farms to harvest their crops.

“The people killed had left for the farm when the herdsmen attacked them around 7.30am today (Thursday). It was the flame of fire and smoke that attracted few men who were around to the incident and they immediately alerted the security men.

“Unfortunately, before the mobile policemen got to the place, we were told the herdsmen had disappeared.”

The council chairman, Mr. Anthony Shawon, when contacted on the telephone, said, “there is much pressure on me now, I will get back to you later.”

Efforts to get him before filing this report were not successful as he did not pick the call.

But the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, when contacted, said, “We are still collating facts.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Women Journalists and Coalition of Women Activists on Thursday condemned the rising cases of rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes in troubled Borno State.

The condemnation came on the heels of an acid attack on a 26-year-old undergraduate of the University of Maiduguri, Fatima Usman.

Miss Usman, a final year student in the Department of Nursing was allegedly given the acid bath by two unknown tricycle operators last Friday.

Also another person was said to have been bathed with acid on Thursday (yesterday) in Maiduguri.

The two women groups condemned the growing acid attacks, condemned the attacks which seems to be targeted at women.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the Chairperson of NAWOJ, Hajiya Hadiza Bukar, lamented that most of the attacks were targeted at vulnerable women.

She claimed that most of these unfortunate happenings were carried out under the influence of drugs and other illicit substances among the youths.

She said, “In view of recent happenings, Keke Napep which is the means of accessible transportation to our people, especially women, have now become a death trap. We, therefore, want to call on the relevant authorities to please reorganise the Keke Napep operations for the better and purposeful services to the people.

“We are compelled to register our feelings, as mothers, we should also be motherly enough to check the behaviours of our children for a better society.”

She however commended the Federal Government and all security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, especially with the recent release and freedom of over 100 Dapchi schoolgirls who were kidnapped few weeks ago.

Bukar also urged government to intensify efforts in rescue of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and all those held captive by insurgents.

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